School of Hard Knocks: NFLPA May Have Amended Rule to Prevent Jay-Z from Representing Players

The NFL Players Association may have amended its rules to tighten “undergraduate and post-graduate degree requirements” for agents in order to prevent Jay-Z from representing NFL players like New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz.

According to Mike Freeman of CBS Sports, the amended rule, a copy of which Freeman obtained, states that agents “must come from an accredited college but there’s no question that if you don’t have one, this rule would prevent you from recruiting players.”

Sports Business Daily noted that is believed that Jay-Z, the Roc Nation Sports founder, may not “possess the academic credentials to pass union certification.”

An agent told CBS Sports’s Freeman last week that this was a “shot across the bow of Jay-Z.”

Still, Freeman notes even though Jay-Z “may not possess the academic credentials to pass union certification,” he may still be able to go around the rule by growing his agency, which already includes New York Yankee Robinson Cano, hiring “an army of certified agents,” remaining “publicly detached from his agency,” speaking to “no recruits.”

Of course, Jay-Z would be “extremely involved” on the inside and every recruit would understand they are joining Jay-Z’s firm.

Freeman notes, “there’s no question that while this rule may hurt Jay-Z, it’s not a mortal wound. Not yet.”